Law Schools

Law School Gives Exam Extensions Over Baltimore -- And It's A Great Idea

In the face of ongoing protests in Baltimore, one law school is doing the right thing.

By  
on

It’s that most dreaded time of the year — finals season! Anything that can go wrong will go wrong from technological snafus to unexpected delays. Now combine that with the fact that current events are s**t right now. The images of unadulterated rage and frustration emanating out of Baltimore are enough to upset even the most cynical and stoic individuals, nevermind law students that likely still have a good dose of idealism.

Unfortunately, this is not a new issue for law schools to deal with. Back in December, Columbia Law School found itself in the center of an imbroglio trying to balance exams with real life. In the wake of protests over the non-indictments in the Michael Brown and Eric Garner cases, Columbia, along with Georgetown Law Center and Harvard Law School instituted a plan to allow some students to postpone finals. Which, given that we are talking about hyper competitive law students, led to pointed questions about students’ “sincerity” about using their extensions and allegations of gaming the system. Whether or not that’s true, it undermined the schools’ policies.

Once again it’s finals time, and once again there’s ongoing civil unrest over the death of a black person. This time, one law school is getting out ahead of the issue with a new approach.

Given student concerns over the protests and mass arrests, as well as their relative proximity to the epicenter of the unrest, University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law Dean Shelley Broderick yesterday announced an interesting plan. Students there will be allowed to postpone one final (with prior approval) if they provide legal support for the Baltimore demonstrations. They are even providing training for those that may be interested but feel out of their element. From Dean Broderick’s statement:

[I]f any student wishes to participate in legal support for the demonstrations, we will defer one exam until May 11. To do so, you need to connect with one of the legal assistance organizations, develop a plan for the assistance you intend to provide and get this information to Dean Steward before your exam. If you are having difficulty in identifying a group to work with, please let me know and we can assist you. In addition, because these issues affect everyone at the Law School, we would be pleased to support a student organized teach-in. A community event that brings us together around these issues and promotes mutual support is important during these challenging times.

What a great idea. This is an appropriate acknowledgement of the distress students might be feeling over current events synthesized with activism and an impromptu practicum. By linking the extensions to rendered legal support (and an approval process) UDC has created a system that is less vulnerable to questions of “gaming the system.”

I’d wager that those who choose to participate will remember the training and experience long after the peculiarities of the rule against perpetuities fade.

Sponsored

Dean Broderick’s statement also doesn’t shy away from the political implications of the plan. Shelley dreams big for UDC students.

The police accountability movement needs and will continue to need the best lawyers that we can train. It is our aspiration that you become the future of the legal support for the most important cases of the next generation. It is critical that, while we pay attention to what is going on today, that we not lose sight of the essential role you will play once you pass the bar.  We need to invest in you to be prepared to play that role. That is our shared commitment.

It’s a reminder that even in the darkest times we can still see a glimmer of hope.

Sponsored

Topics

, , , , , , , , , ,